The invention relates to an expander heat exchanger unit for conditioning a first fluid, especially a cooling agent of an air conditioning unit, with a heat exchanger, comprising a first tube element unit designed so that the first fluid can flow through it, as well as comprising a second tube element unit designed so that the first fluid can flow through it, in which a transfer of the first fluid from the heat exchanger via an intermediate outlet can be achieved and a transfer of the first fluid can be achieved via an intermediate inlet from the compression step unit to the heat exchanger, and in which an outlet connection distributor for removing the first fluid from the second tube element unit is provided via which the first fluid can be transferred to an expansion step unit.
The invention furthermore relates to a machine or an engine machine apparatus that serves in particular to expand a first fluid and is provided in particular with an expansion step unit that comprises for its part an inner expansion step wheel as well as an outer expansion step wheel that delimit a workspace between curved contact surfaces, in which a first movable support element is associated with the inner expansion step wheel and with the outer expansion step wheel which element is pressed on its front side against the inner expansion step wheel as well as against the outer expansion step wheel.
A disadvantage of the expander heat exchanger unit as described above is that an expansion of the first fluid as well as a heat transfer cannot be achieved with especially high efficiency under different operating conditions. Furthermore, a disadvantage of the machine as described above is that improving efficiency in at least a broad operating range is limited and the machine cannot be used in the aforementioned expander heat exchanger unit. In particular, adapting the engine machine apparatus to different operating conditions with the simplest possible means is problematic.
It would be desirable to develop an expander heat exchanger unit including a first tube element unit through which the first fluid can flow coupled to a second tube element unit designed so that the first fluid can flow through it. A transfer of the first fluid can be achieved here via an intermediate outlet from the heat exchanger to a compression step unit, and a transfer of the first fluid via an intermediate inlet from the compression step unit to the heat exchanger, and an outlet connection distributor is provided for removing the first fluid from the second tube element unit via which the first fluid can be transferred to an expansion step unit, and which compression step unit and expansion step unit are arranged in a cylindrical space volume whose diameter is 10% to 90%, especially 20% to 70% of its axial length. A first conditioning procedure takes place in a preferred manner here in the first tube element unit in which procedure heat is transferred between the first fluid and air. Subsequently, the first fluid can be compressed in the compression step unit. A second cooling procedure can be realized at an appropriately elevated pressure level inside the second tube element unit in which procedure the first fluid is further cooled down. Correspondingly, different temperature ranges are associated with the first tube element unit and the second tube element unit, which temperature ranges can be adjusted by the supplied temperatures of the air. After having flowed through the second tube element unit the first fluid can be expanded in the expansion step unit in such a manner that technical operation is transferred from the expansion step unit to the compression step unit so that an inner recovery of energy is made possible.
Further, it would be desirable to develop a machine including an adjustable control element associated with the first movable support element, which control element can be adjusted as a function of a parameter that varies during the operation of the expansion step unit and/or of the engine machine apparatus, in particular as a function of a pressure in an inlet conduit and/or in an outlet conduit of the expansion step unit. Influence can be exerted on the position of the first movable support element and the forces on it by adjusting the control element. This results in a self-regulating adaptation of the contact pressure on the expansion step unit. As a result the contact pressure of the first support element can be varied automatically and as a function of the operating state of the expansion step unit so that the expansion step unit can be operated at a favorable efficient operating point by adjusting favorable conditions of friction and power.
It would also be desirable to develop a machine including an adjustable control element designed as a movable piston or pin that can be loaded on a front side with the inlet-side pressure of the expansion step unit and on a rear side with an outlet-side pressure of the expansion step unit. In this manner the pin can be transferred from a first operating position into a second operating position as a function of the pressure conditions on the engine machine apparatus and driven by the first fluid itself. In the second operating position, that is preferably assumed when a certain threshold of the inlet pressure is exceeded, the pin preferably changes an inflow cross section into the expansion step unit so that a power output of the expansion machine is preferably further reduced.
Additionally, it would be desirable to develop a machine including a compression step unit arranged in an expansion step unit which compression step unit is associated with a second movable support element that is pressed on its front side against an inner compression step wheel and/or an outer compression step wheel, and a second adjustable control element is associated with the second movable support element which control element can be adjusted as a function of a parameter that can vary during the operation of the compression step unit and/or of the engine machine apparatus, in particular as a function of a pressure in an inlet conduit and/or in an outlet conduit of the compression step unit. The second adjustable control element influences a contacting force in a preferred manner that acts on the second support element which contacting force transfers the second support element onto the compression step unit. As a result, the contact pressing of the support element can be varied automatically and as a function of the operating state of the compression step unit so that the compression step unit can be operated at a favorable efficient operating point by adjusting favorable conditions of friction and power.